Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl

TL;DR. This ingredient is a synthetic polymeric thickener, gelling agent, and emulsion stabilizer. It helps build viscosity and keep oil and water phases evenly dispersed.

What does Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl do in a cosmetic formula?

This ingredient is a synthetic polymeric thickener, gelling agent, and emulsion stabilizer. It helps build viscosity and keep oil and water phases evenly dispersed.

Is Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl clean?

It is often flagged by stricter clean standards because it is a persistent synthetic polymer and may fall under microplastic policies, depending on particle form and region. Skin irritation is typically low when it is fully neutralized and properly formulated.

Is Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl sustainable?

This material is generally petroleum-derived and not readily biodegradable. Its main sustainability concern is environmental persistence after rinse-off use, even though it is used at low levels.

Is Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl COSMOS-approved?

It is generally not aligned with COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards because it is a synthetic, non-biodegradable polymer. From a Green Chemistry view, it scores weakly on renewable sourcing and end-of-life, despite its efficient thickening performance at low concentrations.

How does Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl work chemically?

The molecule is a high-molecular-weight, crosslinked copolymer with hydrophilic acid groups and hydrophobic C10-30 side chains, which swells after neutralization to build viscosity and stabilize oil droplets. Typical use is about 0.1 to 1.0%, with best performance around pH 5.5 to 8 and reduced viscosity in high-electrolyte systems.

Last updated 2026-05-15